Narendra Modi vs the Dynasty: Contrasting Ideas of India

VikramS · Post by **VikramS** » 01 Apr 2013 03:32

Mupalla:

Let Madhu remain apolitical.

She takes a stand based on her views; and those views are often well researched.

If the truth comes out then Bharat wins.

Frankly Vijay Goel is not exactly an inspiring choice for BJP in Delhi.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 01 Apr 2013 04:06

Remember this?

When Rahul said some thing nasty about Gujarat, he was forced to leave Bihar College.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 01 Apr 2013 04:13

RamaY wrote:^ Muppala garu,

Need to do some analysis of UP.

We need to separate committed vote banks (votes secured in the worst performance election) and the swing votes (votes received in a wave) to predict each party's fortunes.

More over we can also see the votes gained by a given party when it entered into a pre-poll alliance. This indicates number of transferable votes.

Luckily UP went thru all kinds of ba*tardisations one can imagine.

This is where NM becomes so valuable to BJP, as he will pull away all development seeking Bharatiya Dalits and Muslims in to BJP camp.

If someone can predict UP with even 70% accuracy then that guy won't be on BRF. He will be making a tonne of money. In UP even if you go assembly segment by assembly segment, there is hardly anything called as committed vote percentage or any swings due to real issues. Development issues based swings are negligible.

The swings are all due to broad based highhandedness of the government of the day. The party (between Maya and Mulayam) that built the best caste coalition got to the assembly. In a lot of seats due to the gridlock of division of votes to various parties, Muslim votes will become clincher. The minute a person become CM of UP with no coalition, that person feels that he/she is actually India's PM.

If we consider EVM magic, there is no way we can do any analysis. Congress getting some 15+ LS seats with base at all in 2009 is a biggest surprise.

Taking that element out and based on Mulayam's win it is highly unlikely that INC can win anything beyond five seats (all of them are dynasty ghettoes).

Here is why I think Maya getting central position as great possibility.

(1) She has been the crucial person in last couple of parl sessions. Congress and BSP are the only parties that honestly tried to pass the dalit reservations in promotions. She has solid and enthusiastic support of entire UP dalits.

(2) INC is really desperate. They already announced (via several friendly news channels/papers) that they are okay with third front coalition as long as INC can be part of the coalition. In other words what difference it will make to dynasty if it is led by MMS or Maya as long as they don't destroy their interests and keep hopes and aspirations of dynasty? They definitely will not extend MMS.

(3) If Modi is "almost projected" as PM candidate, then INC will use it every weapon to polarize Muslims to be anti-Modi led or any thing that does have BJP in it. With Modi this polarization becomes very easy. This is where there is high chances of Muslims going with INC in LS elections if they have the confidence of not allowing BJP in any remote fashion become part of government. Modi standing from Lucknow will clinch the deal.

(4) Maya is not Mulayam for INC and going with Maya is okay when you don't see future growth. In a survival mode going with Maya in UP is the best strategy.

(5) Once convinced of INC+Maya coming to power in center, that will help INC to build a caste coalition. Cowbelt is a soft target.

All in all if this succeeds Maya + INC could win about 50 to 60 LS seats in UP.

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 01 Apr 2013 04:13

Sanku wrote:What I love right now is that Modi's "elevation" is being done at the hand of useless upper caste cow belter from Advani camp who was responsible for degrading the poor backward caste messiah Kalyan Singh.

And the entrenched D4 suddenly got sidelined magically? How? RSS was also against Modi onlee no?

Sanjay Jha of "Hamaracongress.com" argues like above.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 01 Apr 2013 04:16

VikramS wrote:Mupalla:

Let Madhu remain apolitical.

She takes a stand based on her views; and those views are often well researched.

If the truth comes out then Bharat wins.

Frankly Vijay Goel is not exactly an inspiring choice for BJP in Delhi.

Where did I say she should not be neutral? She saying that she will campaign for 4th term to Sheila Dixit is neutral? To be neutral she should have said exactly what you said above "Vijay Goel is not inspiring" or "What a choice for Delhities or something like that". However, she made an extreme statement and then brags about it.

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 01 Apr 2013 04:23

Unedited version here - note the anger in the student's voice and the fear it generated in Rahul baba

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 01 Apr 2013 04:39

Muppalla wrote:

If someone can predict UP with even 70% accuracy then that guy won't be on BRF. He will be making a tonne of money. In UP even if you go assembly segment by assembly segment, there is hardly anything called as committed vote percentage or any swings due to real issues. Development issues based swings are negligible.

Agree!!. Look at this news item

धन दौलत नहीं भगवान की भक्ति से होगा कल्याण

मुहम्मदाबाद (गाजीपुर) : परमहंस आश्रम तमलपुरा में चल रहे नौ दिवसीय आदर्श रुद्र महायज्ञ के चौथे दिन रविवार को यज्ञ मंडप की परिक्रमा के लिए सुबह से ही श्रद्धालुओं की भीड़ लगी रही।

शनिवार की रात्रि में वरिष्ठ साहित्यकार डॉ. विवेकी राय ने भी आश्रम पर पहुंचकर स्वामी आत्मानंद जी महाराज का आर्शीवाद लिया। इसके बाद यज्ञ मंडप का परिक्रमा की। विधायक सिबगतुल्लाह अंसारी भी महायज्ञ में पहुंचकर स्वामी जी का आर्शीवाद लिए।

http://www.jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/gha ... 24196.html

It's about "Maha Rudra Ygyaa" which was conducted in Ghazipur district of Eastern UP. SP MLA Sibagtullah Ansari who attended the Ygna, is brother of famous don Mukhtaar Ansaari . It was Mukhtaar Ansaari who killed BJP MLA Krishnanad Rai. Not a single BJP leader of any consequence bothered to show up for this huge Yagna which attracted more than 100,000 people per day during last phase. Janta was going gaga over this dsiplay of Taqiya by Junior Ansari, although in reality both are hardened Islamist criminals.

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 01 Apr 2013 05:37

Yet, these do not make the Gujarat CM the unchallenged top gun in the BJP. In fact, a closer look at the names announced by Singh reveals that barring these names and that of Meenakshi Lekhi, appointed spokesperson, Modi does not appear to have succeeded in pushing more of his aides into the “Team of 2014”.

Party patriarch LK Advani and Sushma Swaraj have had a big say in who stays in and who goes out. The intense behind-the-scene parleys that went on for days — and late into nights as well — indicate the tightrope walk party chief Rajnath Singh had to do in balancing demands of senior party colleagues.

Advani pushed for Murlidhar Rao, backed by RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy, to be named general secretary.

Varun Gandhi's appointment as general secretary, and elevation of Balbir Punj and Uma Bharti benefitted from Advani's backing. Gandhi, however, also had the support of Singh and his predecessor Nitin Gadkari.

Modi and Jaitely wanted Irani as a general secretary, a position far more powerful than that of a vice-president. But, Sushma Swaraj's stiff opposition ensured the no woman leader made it to the general-secretary rank.

Another Modi aide, Purushottam Rupala, was pushed down the hierarchy—from vice-president to a permanent invitee to the party's national executive.

Swaraj fought hard for supporter SS Ahluwalia, who was named vice-president overcoming Jaitley's opposition and Singh's reluctance. She also supported induction of late Pramod Mahajan's daughter Poonam as one of the secretaries.

Jaitley managed to save Dharmendra Pradhan, blamed for the mess in Karnataka and debacle in Uttarakhand, from being dropped. He also helped Anurag Thakur keep his position as the BJP yuva morcha chief even though the party lost power in Himachal Pradesh, where his father was the CM.

The party chief had his say in the naming of Rajiv Pratap Ruddy as general secretary. His political aide Sudanshu Trivedi was appointed spokesperson and Vani Tripathi stayed on as secretary.

By keeping Yashwant Sinha out, Singh sought to send out a clear message ahead of the poll season— party discipline would have to be adhered to. Sinha on many occasions has turned to media to air his grievances.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-new ... 35299.aspx

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 01 Apr 2013 05:42

[youtube]vjJ-zpDbUCM&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 01 Apr 2013 06:45

Lilo wrote:Unedited version here - note the anger in the student's voice and the fear it generated in Rahul baba

WOW! WOW! Are these young people still so much charged? I would like to Modi to start his Vivekananda/Bharat vikaas yatra now.

Can we capture this emotion and use constructively to change India? Manufacturing, Infra Super power? Trading Hub?

Nitish better stop his nonsensensical dramas and attend to the development task. Otherwise, these people will beat him to the pulp.

Rahul Joke on twitter:

* Rahul wants CBI to find Victoria's Secrent

* Rahul sees Boeing aircraft and shouts excitedly: Ma Ma ... Boeing, Boeing. SG says "Be silent beta". RG say "Oeing Oeing"

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 01 Apr 2013 07:26

Only Modi can do this. Pulling these two women , from deep pockets of Delhi based left liberalism, on your side.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 01 Apr 2013 07:45

Wow, that tweet from Tavleen Singh calling left as jihadi supporters is a change. No more politically correctness online anymore. More power to them.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 01 Apr 2013 08:22

Muppala garu

I disagree with your UP analysis. As you said, since none can predict UP with more than 30-50% accuracy, my crazy prediction shoukd have 50% chance

I see few contradictions in your analysis. On one hand you say there are no vote banks. But your whole analysis is based on two vote banks - Dalits and Muslims.

My predictions
1. No body will vote for INC, including Muslims. In the absence of EVM magic, I will be surprised if INC gets more than 5 seats. In a Modi Vs Termites context, Muslims definitely would not want to be seen as desadrohis by voting for INC.

2. If Muslims decide to vote for non-BJP candidates they would go with either BSP or SP. Given Akhilesh Yadav's performance, they will have a nice 'secular' reason to vote for BSP. This will ensure that the muslims can keep INC on a leash while gaining the best influence. More over the state elections in 2017 will give sufficient hold over BSP or SP, thus keeping the coalition of convenience is limited to 2-3 years the most. So far BSP's best performance in UP is 20 seats in 2009.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahujan_Sa ... r_House.29)

3. If Muslims decide to vote for SP then SP may again win a maximum of 35 seats as it did in 2004.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_gen ... tion,_2004

4. In either case the maximum seats BSP and SP could win was 54 seats in 2004.

5. In the remaining 26 seats BJP should comfortably win 20 seats in 2014.

6. Another point consider is whenever UP Muslims showed their tactical brilliance, they ended up losing the Muslim majority seats to BJP.
Muslims hate BJP but BJP often wins Muslim-dominated seats
'Constituencies with sizable Muslim population be de-reserved'

7. If and when Modi is given the responsibility and authority to run the campaign in UP, it will not be like the "Kappala Takkeda (balance weighing frogs) that is has been in past two elections. A tight campaign will be run making the best out of pre and post poll alliances both in own camp as well as opponents camp.

8. Based on these factors, when added the NaMo wave, I predict BJP will win 30+ seats comfortably in 2014 elections.

9. If BJP goes for pre-poll alliance with either BSP or SP, then BJP on its own may win 40 seats with its partner bagging 20 seats.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 01 Apr 2013 09:04

Sushupti wrote:Only Modi can do this. Pulling these two women , from deep pockets of Delhi based left liberalism, on your side.

No, when NDA was in power, the left liberals had all migrated to singing paens for NDA.

Some of them fear that NDA will come back to power and hence are aligning with likely PM candidates.

Its is both faithless and foolish to make a measurement based on where the "left liberals" are currently swinging. EVEN IF they support Modi, they are still scum.

(BTW this is not about the two ladies mentioned above -- but in general about media/US embassy types, self appointed left liberals)

VikramS · Post by **VikramS** » 01 Apr 2013 09:20

Muppalla wrote:Wow, that tweet from Tavleen Singh calling left as jihadi supporters is a change. No more politically correctness online anymore. More power to them.

Well Tavleen has been calling it as it is is for some time now.
Her articles lack the (pseudo) intellectual condescending which permeates the Indian left.
Are down to earth and to the point.

It is amazing to see that @AzmiShabana's timeline
https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=A ... a&src=typd

Getting hammered from all kind of people. The Wave is on Twitter.

And manushi.in servers are out of bandwidth

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 01 Apr 2013 09:49

Manushi website facing bandwidth problems. Had to wait before I could read parts 2 and 3.

OK, I will admit firstpost's April fool joke got me. I read it again and the comments and saw the prank.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 01 Apr 2013 10:20

Madhu Kesar did tried to bring proper exposure to left dramas. Please read what she wrote in her magzine.

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 01 Apr 2013 10:50

The new strategy, according to my sources, revolves around Modi. And, one aspect of it is to spread the rumour, far and wide, that if the BJP declares him their prime ministerial candidate nothing better could happen from a UPA viewpoint because it will ensure that the Congress Party comes back as the single largest party. The objective is to frighten the BJP’s senior leaders into declaring someone else as their prime ministerial candidate and in pursuit of this objective is also being spread the rumour that the BJP led NDA (National Democratic Aliance) will unravel if Modi tries to become Prime Minister. Legion are the number of Congress leaders these days who point to Nitish Kumar in Bihar and say that his objections to Modi are shared by every other NDA ally. So successful has the Congress strategy been that there are many senior leaders in the BJP who openly oppose the advent of Modi on the national stage.
http://www.niticentral.com/2013/03/31/u ... 60172.html

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 01 Apr 2013 10:58

The key question are, will Modi be able to destroy the the two castist parties in UP. Will BJP be able to attack the SP / BSP as extensions of the INC.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 01 Apr 2013 13:10

Sanku wrote:No, when NDA was in power, the left liberals had all migrated to singing paens for NDA.

Some of them fear that NDA will come back to power and hence are aligning with likely PM candidates.

Its is both faithless and foolish to make a measurement based on where the "left liberals" are currently swinging. EVEN IF they support Modi, they are still scum.

(BTW this is not about the two ladies mentioned above -- but in general about media/US embassy types, self appointed left liberals)

Exactly, who would have thought that a "person" like Mahesh Bhatt would praise Gujarat ? But two things:

1) Both ladies have IMVHO burnt all bridges with fiberals.
2) Tavleen Singh is married to Ajit Gulabchand(Pro Modi, his father was president of Maharashtra Hindu Sabha and close associate of Veer Savarkar)

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 01 Apr 2013 13:30

^^^^
fiberals is a good word. If not already borrowed from elsewhere, needs to go into the BRF speak with your name under it.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 01 Apr 2013 15:25

, I didn't invest that. I think I read it on some BRF thread.

More Govindacharya: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/narendra-mod ... 37-64.html

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 01 Apr 2013 16:07

anmol wrote:More Govindacharya: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/narendra-mod ... 37-64.html

Senility gone rampant in the RSS...For the country's sake, hope this organization gets into some serious introspection on the value it is adding to Indian politics.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 01 Apr 2013 16:10

Arjun wrote:
anmol wrote:More Govindacharya: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/narendra-mod ... 37-64.html
Senility gone rampant in the RSS...For the country's sake, hope this organization gets into some serious introspection on the value it is adding to Indian politics.

Err he has been at loggerheads with Sangh for at least six years if not more?

Why is this a RSS issue?

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 01 Apr 2013 16:43

Sanku wrote:Err he has been at loggerheads with Sangh for at least six years if not more?

Why is this a RSS issue?

Fair enough - in this case the Sangh seems to be the victim rather than the responsible party. The break from the Sangh needs to be conveyed in a more explicit manner, if this guy continues in this same vein like he looks all set to.

We had some posts just a few weeks back on this thread that mentioned Govindacharya as one of the leftist stalwarts of the RSS, and there were suggestions that his name should not be unnecessarily sullied...if that's the situation on BRF I can well imagine the confusion in the public mind when you have this 'revered' ex-RSS leader speak...

Altair · Post by **Altair** » 01 Apr 2013 17:00

RajeshA wrote:I hope Modi goes with a massive fishing net to bring all the corrupt UPA people to book! All he needs is to give a few contracts to a few parties abroad, and they will spill out all the secrets of the family's shady deals. He should start with one case with which he is sure to nail the corrupt. Once he has successfully prosecuted the guilty, then he can bring out more and more cases and put the people behind jail for a very long time with only a poster of the Adriatic Coast as company.

Modi surely must have:
A plan to handle dynasty turds.
A plan to handle the paid p-sec media.
A plan to swing INC's Plan-B parties to support him.
........

Hope he has a plan!

VikramS · Post by **VikramS** » 01 Apr 2013 17:54

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... ss-rss-man

"In 2000, on the insistence of RSS top brass, I brought Narendra Modi as chief minister. But during his tenure, he has finished all saffron organizations, and now the time has come to oust him from the post," he said.

"When Modi replaced Keshubhai as chief minister in 2000, then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not happy with the appointment," Maniar claimed.

Moreover, Maniar also claimed that old associates of saffron organizations and some top Congress leaders including Shankarsinh Vaghela are keen to join their front against Modi.

VikramS · Post by **VikramS** » 01 Apr 2013 18:01

http://storify.com/Victor_47/now-for-some-fun

#RAHULDAY

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 01 Apr 2013 18:05

Arjun wrote:
Sanku wrote:Err he has been at loggerheads with Sangh for at least six years if not more?

Why is this a RSS issue?
Fair enough - in this case the Sangh seems to be the victim rather than the responsible party. The break from the Sangh needs to be conveyed in a more explicit manner, if this guy continues in this same vein like he looks all set to.

We had some posts just a few weeks back on this thread that mentioned Govindacharya as one of the leftist stalwarts of the RSS, and there were suggestions that his name should not be unnecessarily sullied...if that's the situation on BRF I can well imagine the confusion in the public mind when you have this 'revered' ex-RSS leader speak...

Don't be surprised if something as nutty comes from currently in the RSS. At that it will be dismissed "some midlevel person speaking at a personal level" or "media is distorting the statements" etc. The fact is that they use twisted tounges and also they think they are independent of BJP (as an opportunistic statement). This organization in spite of its great service at every level of the society without looking for results is very unhelpful when it comes to a mission "destroy the enemies of the state." Even "100% quiteness" will help others to do their work.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 01 Apr 2013 18:27

The enemy within: Modi needs to watch his right flank

Everything going as per the plan

Who is NaMo's biggest distractors - Yindu Fanatics or Jihadi Fanatics or EJ fanatics or RahulDay?

Like worms crawling out of the woodworks, far-right leaders of the Hindutva pantheon are stepping into the limelight to claim the attention that has long been denied them. Evidently they have been enthused by the perception that the steady ascendance in the political fortunes of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, valorised by his faithful flock followers as the ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’, has opened up the political space for them to strut their stuff.

NaMo is Bharatiya Hriday Samrat!

member_20317 · Post by **member_20317** » 01 Apr 2013 18:35

VikramS wrote:http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... ss-rss-man

"When Modi replaced Keshubhai as chief minister in 2000, then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not happy with the appointment," Maniar claimed.

This bit is bakwaas. Modi in an interview has claimed that he was told of his new responsibility of being the Gujarat prabhari by ABV and it was at the insistence of ABV that he after offering a lot of resistence went over to Gujarat.

That ABV and NM fell out later on is well known but that is a different matter.

The fact remains NM is not the rank Hindutva vaadi, though it can be agreed that he is not far away. The kind of man he is, he is very unlikely to take another man's defination of what Hindutva is. He is most likely a man with his own definition of Saffornhood which he apparently, has the capability to see through.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 01 Apr 2013 18:54

^ I seriously doubt there is any feud between ABV and NM. I remember the famous statement of keeping "Raja Dharma".

Who knows what the true intention of ABV was when he advised NM to do his Raja Dharma? What is Raja Dharma in that context?

Godhra train burning was a despicable act. And Riots started as a response to that. Right Raja Dharma in that context would be to protect innocents and punish the culprits. Who are the culprits? There are two types of culprits there - one who burned the train and the mob associated with; the second the rioters who were killing innocents.

As we can see from later details NM did punish both types of culprits. The proof is in the fact that post Godhra both Muslim as well as Hindu fringe elements called NM names and worked for his defeat. And the innocents on both sides voted NM to power three times since then.

I also believe, given the chanikyaness of ABV, that advise meant only two things -
1. Punish internal enemies of BJP (which NM did - as we can see the separation of fringe elements in Gujarat BJP)
2. Punish the perpetrators of Godhra crime

If someone wants to blame for NM's Post-Godhra response, they should blame ABV IMHO.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 01 Apr 2013 19:08

RamaY wrote: If someone wants to blame for NM's Post-Godhra response, they should blame ABV IMHO.

I agree.

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 01 Apr 2013 19:13

Muppalla wrote: The fact is that they use twisted tounges and also they think they are independent of BJP (as an opportunistic statement).

Which they are, and should be as far as possible, it is not a good thing they get drawn in direct politics, its failure of BJP to an extent, not RSS

This organization in spite of its great service at every level of the society without looking for results is very unhelpful when it comes to a mission "destroy the enemies of the state." Even "100% quiteness" will help others to do their work.

But it helps significantly in maintaining second and third fronts. All or nothing is not a good approach for a entity like RSS. Yes it helps Congress to live a little longer, but then all in good time, RSS is not in the game for a few years.

chandrasekaran · Post by **chandrasekaran** » 01 Apr 2013 19:27

Rama,

Pls. read this link to get a different perspective on ABV's comment
http://www.mediacrooks.com/2013/03/indi ... VmXApAW14Y

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 01 Apr 2013 19:38

^ Thanks sir!

So it is same as Paid Media's twisting of "Action Reaction" statement by NM.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 01 Apr 2013 20:05

Excuse me, if I take Narendra Modi's side: Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter

DNA / Paras K Jha / Friday, February 22, 2013 8:24 IST

Even at the age of 84, her eyes remain focussed and her speech is clear. Wrapped in a blue-bordered finely knitted white saree, Sumitra Gandhi Kulkarni can be introduced in many ways. But what is most significant is the fact that she is the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi. Daughter of Gandhi’s third son Ramdas Gandhi, Sumitra says that she is an old friend of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

Spend a minute with her and you get the feeling that two extreme ideologies can not only survive together but actually gel with each other. She represented Gujarat in Rajya Sabha from 1972 to 1978 on a Congress ticket.

Kulkarni was in the city with her husband Gajanan Kulkarni at the house of Jaimin Modi, whom she considers her brother. She has come to her grandfather’s land to meet her old friends, who of course, include CM Narendra Modi. She spoke to DNA’s Paras K Jha.

Meeting with Narendra Modi

We are old friends. So meeting was bound to be happy and pleasant.

Friendship with the CM

Why should anybody know about our friendship?

We are not here for some kind of publicity. I have known him since he was in-charge of Himachal and lived in Delhi. We not only respect each other, we also like each other. Excuse us if we are partial towards each other. I am partial towards him due to our old friendship.

Talks of Modi moving to Delhi

I don’t know anything about it and I am not going to speak anything on the issue. This is mere speculation, and I don’t want to enter the race.

What Modi has done in Gujarat

I have lived in Gujarat for a number of years with my husband. Now, I have come back here and can see the difference.

It has to be attributed to the man who is supervising it. The overall cleanliness, roads, people in general, shops, or wherever we go, we see development.

Social fabric of Gujarat

I really don’t know. You shouldn’t ask me because my answer will be prejudiced. I personally think highly of Amdavad and Gujarat. I think we (Gujaratis) are very honest, and hard working. We don’t go to beg to anyone. It is specialty of Gujarat that whatever we do, we achieve it through hard work. I am an admirer of Manek Chowk, where every person creates something with his hard work.

Communal harmony in state

It was always there; earlier also and it is now also. It hasn’t been disturbed. Because when I was living here, I used to move around Khadia and Jamalpur areas freely, without any fear. I am ready to go there even today.

Amdavad connection

I was born at Sabarmati Ashram, but raised at Sevagram, Vardha. But my husband (Gajanan Kulkarni)’s job in Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad brought me back to the city and I have lived here for 15 years. He is one of the founder faculty members of IIMA. One day, Vikram Sarabhai came to my home, had lunch and said that I am taking your husband with me. At that time he was joint secretary in the ministry of finance. So after that we came here from Delhi.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 01 Apr 2013 20:13

MODI VERSUS THE REST
The Gujarat chief minister continues to puzzle his detractors.
By N.V. Subramanian (1 April 2013)

New Delhi: Perhaps Narendra Modi is the only front-ranking politician to headbutt the liberal establishment (including the mainstream media) time after time, and get away. He has done it again by clinching the post of general secretary in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his controversial aide, Amit Shah, which has played down his own elevation to the party’s all-important Parliamentary Board. Going by the past, there is method in Modi’s extravagance.

It should be clear to anyone but the most obtuse that the Gujarat chief minister believes in setting his own agenda. In the era of coalition politics, it is not a small feat to win three assembly elections in a row, convincingly and decisively. But his victory is all the greater because it came by his own individual efforts. Like the Congress, the BJP central leaders make extortionate demands on their chief ministers. They have to be gratified in an extraordinary number of ways, as the estranged former BJP chief minister of Karnataka, B.S.Yeddyruppa, will tell you. (Some of the recent stories emerging from Bihar concerning central and state BJP leaders would shock only the very naive.{What is this?}) But the same obliged central leaders will throw state leaders to the wolves without compunction when their utility is deemed over, or to propitiate the false deities of the liberal establishment.

But Narendra Modi is not Yeddyruppa. He kept central BJP leaders in their place, with the onus lying on them to keep to the right side of the Gujarat chief minister. Hence the loathing in the central BJP for Modi. He did not permit them to scam and bleed Gujarat. There were no suitcases of cash to be brought on return trips from Gandhinagar. And not just BJP leaders. Narendra Modi put a stop to the skullduggery of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangha (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) big shots in Gujarat. Which is why all the three organizations, the BJP, RSS and VHP, have turned against him. Modi’s trump card, however, is the electorate. So confident is he of the electorate that he knew the exact scale of victory in the last assembly election.

It is this intense self-belief that propels him to the Centre on his own terms. Conventional thinking dictates that Modi makes the national entry softly and without controversy. But Modi has lived with controversy -- and bitter attacks -- for so long that contestation and disputation have become second nature to him. Amit Shah has been his close aide. Modi is bound to believe that Amit Shah did nothing to deserve the present persecution. He doubtless sees in Shah’s personal history a repetition of his demonization after the riots, and has gone far out to back him. Modi has not been so indulgent to anyone else.

The more the liberal establishment attacks Modi on Amit Shah and other matters, the more he consolidates himself. The liberals have made Narendra Modi a national figure. The liberals aren’t assisted in their battle by generally being perceived to have no values. Dishonest for the most part, they corrupt easily, as the Radia Tapes prove. Putting a liberal mask, they will loot you and me, as the Manmohan Singh government has done every single day in the last nine years of power. Liberals believe in nothing. If Modi becomes the prime minister tomorrow, they will drop their objections and fall at his feet. Compromisers and liberals are different sides of the same coin. Narendra Modi has well understood this. The liberal establishment has dared him time and again, and lost.

Unlike his opponents, however, Narendra Modi does not represent an establishment. In Delhi, there are all manner of establishments. There is the establishment establishment of the government and the ruling party led by Sonia Gandhi and her family. In the feudal system of Delhi’s politics, everyone wants to be on friendly terms with this establishment, including Lal Krishna Advani and Sushma Swaraj of the BJP. Only Narendra Modi among the national leaders scorns the Nehru-Gandhis and does so openly. Then there are the opposition and the media establishments living in dread of and in the shadow of the first establishment and the networkers who operate among all of them. Modi is not a member of any of these clubs. Nitish Kumar may need his perfumed fixers in Delhi and still talk about the socialistic Bihar model, but Modi is enough by himself. {Come to think of it, JJ is another leader who fits into this mold. Abused by opponents, yet stands strong and confident}

If you don’t understand any of this, you are unlikely to be able to map Narendra Modi’s mind. He is a man who has overcome fear and is beyond conventional thinking. He enjoys the freedom of one who has nothing to lose. He lives by his lights and there are masses of people who believe in his capacity to transform their lives. What puts him apart from the crowd is his obsessive vision of India’s greatness. The prime-ministership to him is the means to achieving his vision and not the end. He will become prime minister as his own man or never. The liberal establishment has come to believe it is the arbiter of fates and destinies. Not in Modi’s case. The people will have to decide if they want him or the ragtag and bobtail.

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 01 Apr 2013 20:49

{Come to think of it, JJ is another leader who fits into this mold. Abused by opponents, yet stands strong and confident}

Ramay Ji, i wouldn't compare JJ with NM. Just look at the contrast in the ways JJ handled the Viswaroopam fiasco and NM handled the Jism2 one. The contrast is exposed there and is wide. And that is just one example.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 01 Apr 2013 22:34

JJ continues to see a soft corner for her in BRF

An aam admi from TN will tell you about her eccentric character - I can still remember her ruckus during MGR's funeral. She rolled back several of her GOs for elections, she dragged the Kanchi see in to a 21st century crime-n-murder drama, she enjoys the cult-like worship of her party workers - similar to MuKa. Granted she can display a rational and good side of her, but having her on your side is walking on egg shells. Be warned.